The Uses of Literature--Italy, France, England--Purpose of the Work--Celtic Literary Remains--Druids and Druidism--Roman Writers--Psalter of Cashel--Welsh Triads and Mabinogion--Gildas and St. Colm CHAPTER III. ANGLO-SAXON LITERATURE AND HISTORY. The Lineage of the Anglo-Saxon--Earliest Saxon Poem--Metrical Arrangement--Periphrasis and Alliteration--Beowulf--Caedmon--Other Saxon Fragments--The Appearance of Bede CHAPTER IV. THE VENERABLE BEDE AND THE SAXON CHRONICLE. Biography--Ecclesiastical History--The Recorded Miracles--Bede's Latin--Other Writers--The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle: its Value--Alfred the Great--Effect of the Danish Invasions CHAPTER V. THE NORMAN CONQUEST AND ITS EARLIEST LITERATURE. Norman Rule--Its Oppression--Its Benefits--William of Malmesbury--Geoffrey of Monmouth--Other Latin Chronicles--Anglo-Norman Poets--Richard Wace--Other Poets CHAPTER VI. THE MORNING TWILIGHT OF ENGLISH LITERATURE. Semi-Saxon Literature--Layamon--The Ormulum--Robert of Gloucester--Langland. Piers Plowman--Piers Plowman's Creed--Sir Jean Froissart--Sir John Mandevil CHAPTER VII. CHAUCER, AND THE EARLY REFORMATION. A New Era: Chaucer--Italian Influence--Chaucer as a Founder--Earlier Poems--The Canterbury Tales--Characters--Satire--Presentations of Woman--The Plan Proposed CHAPTER VIII. CHAUCER (CONTINUED).--REFORMS IN RELIGION AND SOCIETY. Historical Facts--Reform in Religion--The Clergy, Regular and Secular--The Friar and the Sompnour--The Pardonere--The Poure Persone--John Wiclif--The Translation of the Bible--The Ashes of Wiclif CHAPTER IX. CHAUCER (CONTINUED).--PROGRESS OF SOCIETY, AND OF LANGUAGE. Social Life--Government--Chaucer's English--His Death--Historical Facts--John Gower--Chaucer and Gower--Gower's Language--Other Writers CHAPTER X. THE BARREN PERIOD BETWEEN CHAUCER AND SPENSER. Greek Literature--Invention of Printing. Caxton--Contemporary History--Skelton--Wyatt--Surrey--Sir Thomas Moore--Utopia, and other Works--Other Writers CHAPTER XI. SPENSER AND THE ELIZABETHAN AGE. The Great Change--Edward VI. and Mary--Sidney--The Arcadia--Defence of Poesy--Astrophel and Stella--Gabriel Harvey--Edmund Spenser: Shepherd's Calendar--His Great Work CHAPTER XII. ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE HISTORY IN THE FAERIE QUEENE. The Faerie Queene--The Plan Proposed--Illustrations of the History--The Knight and the Lady--The Wood of Error and the Hermitage--The Crusades--Britomartis and Sir Artegal--Elizabeth--Mary Queen of Scots--Other Works--Spenser's Fate--Other Writers CHAPTER XIII. THE ENGLISH DRAMA. Origin of the Drama--Miracle Plays--Moralities--First Comedy--Early Tragedies--Christopher Marlowe--Other Dramatists--Playwrights and Morals CHAPTER XIV. WILLIAM SHAKSPEARE.